Illuminating Gear to Light Up Your DIY Life

Good lighting is the difference between a good day of DIY and a bad one—or a quick task and a drawn out, frustrating production. These are the best ways to light up your life, whether you need a keychain LED flashlight or heavy-duty workshop illumination.

Keychain Flashlight

Keychain Flashlight

Fenix E01

Yes, we've all used our phone as a flashlight in a pinch. But that doesn't necessarily make it a good idea. If you find yourself whipping out your phone for lighting purposes on a regular basis, consider adding a compact flashlight to your keychain or bag.

The Fenix E01 doesn't look fancy, nor is it terribly bright. But it's inexpensive, lightweight, reliable, and it lasts nearly a full day powered by a single AAA battery. The only drawback is that the beam on our 20-month-old model has turned a slightly off-white purplish. But for the $12 to $15 it cost us and the binds it got us out of, we could live with the color issue.

Penlight

Penlight

Streamlight Stylus Pro

Keychain flashlights are useful, but they're not well-suited for frequent usage. Penlights are discrete enough to clip to your pocket, and they are often much brighter and more comfortable to hold and point than other models.

One of our favorites is the Streamlight Stylus Pro. The newest version has a higher-output LED than its predecessor and lasts a little over six hours on two regular AAA batteries. Ours has been used and abused but still shines bright, every time. Expect to pay up to $20 for the black version and a little more for the other colors.